THE MARVELOUS AWARDS: SUPPORTING CAST AWARDS

Posted on March 6, 2014 by Chrissy

THE MARVELOUS AWARDS!!

With last time’s Meanwhile post, we close the books on 1963. A couple of months ago, while Russ and I were eating out, we were tossing around ideas for The Marvelous Zone, and when Russ threw out the idea of an “awards show,” celebrating all the momentous events we’ve encountered thus far, I jumped on it.

I mean, we see it all around us. There’s the Academy Awards, the Emmys, the Grammys, the Cleo’s, the People’s Choice, the Teen Spirit, and on and on. Heck, there’s even an awards show for animal performers!

So why not an awards show for fictional characters? And why not for Marvel’s fictional characters, the most majestic, dynamic and colorful characters in all of creation?! (See? Stan Lee’s not the only master of hyperbole!)

So I put pen to paper (or pen to napkin, as the case was), and began writing down the awards I wanted to hand out. Then we went home, and I wrote some more. I went back and looked over the comics I had read, and wrote even more! And then I slept on it, and then I wrote even more. And before long, I realized I had way too many awards to fit into one blog entry.

So, for the next several days, I’ll be posting here every day, with a fresh new batch of award winners each day.

The newly-formulated plan is to do this after the December books every year, but since we’re already two years into the ever-expanding Marvel Universe, this first edition of the Marvelous Awards will cover the years of 1962 and 1963 (with juuuusssst a slice of 1961 thrown in, for good measure).

Before we begin, a note about spoilers: I’ve asked Dr. Strange to cast a spell over the revelation of the winners to each award, but depending on the browser you’re using, your mileage may vary. In Firefox, the text is blurred. Just place your cursor over the blurred text, and the mystic fog will be lifted. In some versions of Internet Explorer, the text is invisible, and again, move your cursor over the hidden text, and all will be revealed. Other versions of IE ignore all this and display the answers outright (I suspect Baron Mordo has cast a counter-spell). It’s no big deal, but it’s just more fun, if you have the right browser!

So, anyway, let’s roll out the red carpet! The Night of Nights is about to begin!

SUPPORTING CAST AWARDS

Welcome to the Marvelous Awards! There are many awards to give out, but let’s start with the Supporting Cast members. As has been noted numerous times, “There are no small parts, only small actors.” Likewise, in the world of Marvel Comics, there are no characters who are incidental. All contribute to the elaborate tapestry, in their own way, and to varying degrees. Let’s begin by honoring some of the thinner, but often extremely colorful threads of the Marvel tapestry.

MOST ANNOYING OR DISAGREEABLE SUPPORTING CAST MEMBER

Television history is filled with annoying and disagreeable supporting cast members, many of whom are more interesting than the main players. Let’s see how the world of Marvel Comics compares.

In the category of Most Annoying Or Disagreeable Supporting Cast Member, the nominees are:

  • J. Jonah Jameson
  • General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross
  • Flash Thompson

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And the Award goes to…

J. Jonah Jameson! Flash Thompson has potential, but at this point, he’s merely a teenager trying to overcome an inferiority complex by bullying those he perceives as weaker. I suspect General Ross truly does have public safety as his main concern, but Jameson’s witch-hunt of Spider-Man strikes me as overblown and irrational.

MOST USEFUL SIDEKICK

Sidekicks have long been a staple of speculative fiction. Where would Sherlock Holmes be without Watson? Batman, without Robin? The Lone Ranger, without Tonto? A good sidekick brings out the best, and in some cases the worst, in their headliner partner.

In the category of Most Useful Sidekick, the nominees are:

  • Rick Jones
  • The Teen Brigade
  • The Red Ghost’s three apes

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And the Award goes to…

Rick Jones! Where would Bruce Banner be without him? I’m certain the world of superheroes could survive very well without the Teen Brigade; it’s a cute idea, but honestly, they are mostly superfluous. And the Red Ghost’s primates, while entertaining, were easily diverted by the promise of food. Not very useful to their master! But Banner needs someone to take the wheel when he’s all hulked up and irrational, and Jones performs admirably, especially for a teenager.

MOST DOMINEERING AUTHORITY FIGURE

Dominant Will. Alpha Male. Leader of the Pack. We all know them. Sometimes all that testosterone can lead our authority figures astray, and they cross the line, going from Garnering Respect to Belligerence and Bullying.

In the category of Most Domineering Authority Figure, the nominees are:

  • General Ross
  • J. Jonah Jameson
  • Odin, Ruler of Asgard

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And the Award goes to…

Odin. He’s a GOD. In comparison, Ross and Jameson only imagine they have authority.

BEST GUEST APPEARANCE

All the Marvel superhero stories take place in a shared universe, which means that at any time, you can see Spider-Man swinging past a building in the background, or ailing Aunt May paying a consultation visit to Dr. Donald Blake. A good guest appearance generates interest in a title that you might not already be reading.

In the category of Best Guest Appearance, the nominees are:

  • Ant Man assists the Fantastic Four in Fantastic Four #16: “The Micro-World of Doctor Doom!”
  • Nick Fury joins forces with the Fantastic Four in fighting the Hate-Monger in Fantastic Four #21.
  • Spider-Man auditions for the Fantastic Four in Fantastic Four Annual #1.

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And the Award goes to…

Spider-Man. At this point, both the FF and Spidey are BIG names in Marvel Comics. The mere thought of them combining forces must have sent shivers down the spines of the comic readers of the day. This guest appearance is so awesome, it’s also presented in Amazing Spider-Man #1!

FANS AND GROUPIES EXTRAORDINAIRE

Superheroes do not exist in a vacuum. Whether or not they have secret identities, there are always people who appreciate their efforts, and some who even think they’re cute! Sometimes, though, just like in the real world, fans can go overboard.

In the category of Fans and Groupies Extraordinaire, the nominees are:

  • In X-Men #2, a group of girls hold down Angel for kisses and autographs.
  • In Fantastic Four #10, a mob sees the FF on the street and wants everything from autographs and smiles to a piece of their uniforms. Our heroes must use evasive tactics to escape their adoring public.
  • In Journey Into Mystery #99, bystanders see Thor fly though the air and remark, “This is a sight I’ll remember as long as I live!!” and “It’s something we’ll tell our children—and they’ll repeat to their children!”

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And the Award goes to…

The mob in Fantastic Four #10. There’s something about wanting to tear off their clothes that reminds me of the Star Trek (TOS) Red Hour Festival from Return of the Archons. Creepy…

GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

Just as in real life, characters and concepts come and go in the Marvel Universe. Occasionally, though, these characters and concepts remain with our heroes, in their hearts and minds, shaping the world around them, and their perception of it.

In the category of Gone, But Not Forgotten, the nominees are:

  • Korr – Ant-Man’s trusted ant friend
  • Ben Parker, Peter Parker’s beloved uncle
  • Ben Grimm in his human form

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And the Award goes to…

Uncle Ben. Surely Peter has not forgotten him, and the memory of how he died continues to motivate Spider-Man on a daily basis. I felt sad for the death of Korr, as one would upon hearing of a sick puppy, but surely Ant-Man will find other ants to assist him in his fight against evil. (Sorry if this sounds callous, but as much as I love the Ant-Man title and pets in general, I have a hard time assigning an individual personality to an insect.) As for Ben Grimm, how can we forget his human form, when it makes random cameo appearances in every other issue?

OUR FAVORITE BENEVOLENT ALIEN(S)

Yes, it seems that whenever we run into someone from outer space, almost always their intentions are sinister. However, there are a few examples of benevolent aliens among us…

In the category of Our Favorite Benevolent Alien(s), the nominees are:

  • The Ovids, who taught Doctor Doom the power of body transferral
  • The Watcher
  • The peaceful inhabitants of the Micro World

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And the Award goes to…

The Watcher. He’s so cryptic, and his “Prime Directive” philosophy is no more lucid than Starfleet’s. His relatively humanoid appearance, with huge head and little tiny feet, makes him the oddest alien this side of Mork from Ork. Is he really trying to help the FF, or did he merely get lost on his way to a 1980’s toga party?

MOST GULLIBLE FEMALE

Marvel comics are loaded with colorful females, from the flirtatious Wasp, to the prim & proper Alicia Masters; from Betty Ross, the pacifist daughter of a warhawk general, to the passionate Dorma, eager to push Namor into a war with the surface-dwellers. But let’s face it: All these women are written by men, and sometimes, they just can’t help portraying the ladies with a tad too much naivete.

In the category of Most Gullible Female, the nominees are:

  • Aunt May, for thinking J. Jonah Jameson is a “nice man,” and never questioning where the money comes from when Peter buys her new kitchen appliances
  • Jane Foster for…well, everything
  • Betty Ross, for never figuring out that Banner and Hulk are one and the same

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And the Award goes to…

Aunt May. She’s experiencing the classic parental “My kid Can Do No Wrong” Syndrome, and also, as a good-hearted elderly person, always wants to believe the best about everyone. However, in the Marvel Universe, believing the best about everyone is not always wise!

BEST CAMEO APPEARANCE

Cameos, by their very nature, are minor appearances. But in the Marvel Universe, they’re often much more than that. Sometimes, if you squint your eyes, you can almost believe that Marvel superheroes are real and true, in our world! No Metropolis or Gotham City here. These stories take place in New York City. THE New York City. Is that our Chrysler Building that Thor soars past? Aunt May watching jugglers on the Ed Sullivan Show? I think I saw that episode! Cameos by real people give us the sense that these stories aren’t just stories. They’re real events!

In the category of Best Cameo Appearance, the nominees are:

  • Stan Lee & Jack Kirby, in Fantastic Four #10
  • JFK & Caroline, in Journey Into Mystery #96
  • Nikita Krushchev, in Fantastic Four Annual #1

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And the Award goes to…

Stan and Jack in FF#10! What cheekiness, to include themselves in their own comic! But it’s that exact quality of cheekiness that helped make their comics such a successful and iconic part of the 1960’s pop culture!

Coming Attractions…

Well, that was fun! I hope you enjoyed this first installment of the Marvelous Awards. I realize there are probably many high points I haven’t hit, and you may not agree with my choices. If you feel I’ve made any glaring omissions, or if you have a different opinion, please share! The Marvel Universe is too big for only one person to evaluate. I would love to hear what you all think.

Join me tomorrow when I give the Marvel super-villains a chance to vie against each other for that which every super-villain most desires: Notoriety! However, some of my awards may not place this special class of Marvel characters in the most favorable light. After tomorrow’s awards, perhaps I ought to exercise extreme caution, lock all my doors, hire a bodyguard and hide out on the dark side of the moon, until these bruised super-villainous super-egos heal.

Well, if need be, I may hide out for a little while, but I want to be sure to get back in time to bring you all the rest of this, my first annual MARVELOUS AWARDS!!

Posted in Year In Review | 3 Comments

Meanwhile…: December, 1963

Posted on February 20, 2014 by Chrissy

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #7

asm7“The Return of the Vulture”
Script: Stan Lee
Art: Steve Ditko
Letters: Art Simek

IN A NUTSHELL:
The Vulture escapes from prison and when Spider-Man zaps him with his anti-magnetic inverter, this time it doesn’t work! His arm injured in the scuffle, Spidey still attempts to tackle the Vulture when the winged weirdo comes to Jameson’s office to steal the payroll.

The Vulture drags Spider-Man high into the sky, planning to drop him, but Spider-Man saves both of them with a webbed parachute. Back on earth, Peter puts the moves on Betty Brant.

WHAT’S HOT
FRUSTRATION. Peter admits, “The worst thing about being Spider-Man is changing clothes a zillion times a day!” And doing it with a bum arm doesn’t make it any easier! Yet another example of how poor Spider-Man has to deal with the aggravations of Real Life.

TEMPER. A couple of times in this story, Peter makes reference to how much self-control he’s got to exert to keep himself from hauling off and pulverizing Flash, who keeps picking on him. He’s a time bomb about to explode! Suspense!

ROMANCE. Peter’s been thinking about Betty for several issues now, and on the last page of this story we’ve got some serious flirting on both sides. She says she likes him, and he calls her “Baby.” Oooo-la-la! This could be the start of something!

WHAT’S NOT
HYPERBOLE. The cover assures us that Spider-Man will challenge “the most dangerous foe of all.” Is that the Vulture they’re talking about? MOST dangerous? On page one, Stan tones it down a bit to describe the Vulture as ONE OF the most dangerous villains of all time. Is that really fair?

CASH. Okay, I know the 1960’s are not as technologically advanced as we are today, but paychecks had been invented, right? We don’t really need to pay hundreds of employees in cash, do we?

CASH FLOW. Jameson pleads with the Vulture not to take the payroll from the vault, saying it’s all he’s got. Either, as the publisher of NYC’s biggest newspaper and magazine, he’s the worst money manager on the face of the earth, or…he’s a bold-faced liar.

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JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #99

jim99“The Mysterious Mister Hyde!”
Script: Stan Lee
Art: Don Heck
Letters: Art Simek

IN A NUTSHELL
While Thor again pleads with Odin for permission to marry Jane Foster, the evil Mr. Hyde breaks into Don Blake’s office, seeking vengeance after Blake refuses to hire him. Blake returns in time to confront Hyde but is pushed out the window. Transforming to Thor, he survives the fall, which further infuriates Hyde, who now focuses his attention on that meddlesome Thor, by impersonating the Thunder God and robbing a bank. As this issue ends, the police are on the lookout for the criminal Thor…

WHAT’S HOT
WOMEN’S INTUITION. Jane may have confused feelings for Don Blake, but she hits the nail on the head when she muses, “I feel he loves me too…but there seems to be some terrible secret which he never dares to speak of…but which will eternally keep us apart!”

ASSETS. When Zabo lists the reasons why he hates Dr. Blake, first is wealth, then fame. And what’s next? A beautiful nurse! Well, that’s the deal-breaker, right there. Gotta hate a guy who has a beautiful nurse.

PERFECT ALIBI. Even Zabo’s fingerprints change when he becomes the monstrous Mr. Hyde, making him an even more powerful villain, for as he notes, this is “the perfect means of escape.”

IMMORTALITY. Here we learn for the first time that Thor possesses, among all his other powers, the ability to transform a human into an immortal. Whoa! Are you kidding me?? Stop the bus! And Odin does, immediately reciting a long list of positive attributes the human must exhibit before such a transformation is possible. Thor joyously clings to the hope that he may yet get to visit this immortality upon his love, Jane Foster. Jane’s a very nice girl, the kind any fellow would love to take home to meet mother, and I don’t want to throw cold water on Thor’s expectations, but somehow I doubt she’s going to pass Odin’s strict litmus test. At least not for a long time.

TO BE CONTINUED…What’s this? No resolution? Is Thor really robbing banks now? Well, even though it’s not explained in this issue, I think we can feel reasonably sure that Hyde is impersonating Thor to damage his reputation. That’s not the mystery. The mystery is “How is this all going to turn out?” Finally, the title of this book, JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY, has some meaning!

WHAT’S NOT
LAME. When Calvin Zabo first visits Dr. Blake, he describes him as “the famous lame doctor.” Why can’t he just be famous for being a doctor? Do we really need to include the “lame” factor in that description? That particular morsel of excessive detail strikes me as a bit…lame…

FAMILY SQUABBLE. Yes, Thor and Odin get into it, to the point that Thor raises his hand to his father, to which Odin responds with a sudden zap of some sort of energy beam. When Gods Quarrel: this is intense stuff!

SEXISM!! Upon seeing Blake falling from the window, Jane conveniently faints. I understand we have to get her out of the way for a few moments, but the explanation of “And then, because she IS a female,” just reeks of 1960’s sexism. Really? Oh, please…

JEKYLL AND HYDE
Stan pays homage to the classic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, and just in case you’re not familiar with the source, author and title are provided on the top of page five. Much appropriate, for how many Marvel heroes and villains owe a debt to Mr. Stevenson’s classic tale?

When our Marvel heroes take potions or get zapped by rays, their heroic natures and attributes become only moreso (Fantastic Four, Henry Pym, Peter Parker, and arguably, Bruce Banner). Likewise, when Marvel villains undergo the same, their natures also become intensified (Dr. Octopus, Lizard, Sandman and Cobra).

When Calvin Zabo concocts his potion, it is with the hope of changing a human being SO THAT his “base nature” takes over. Correct me if I’m wrong, but in the original story, I think that was an unfortunate outcome, not Dr. Jekyll’s original intention.

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FANTASTIC FOUR #21

ff21“The Hate-Monger!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: George Bell
Letters: Art Simek

IN A NUTSHELL
The FF squabble, after being zapped by the Hate-Monger’s H-Ray. Reed helps Nick Fury quell a South American revolution. Annoyed that Reed went on a solo mission, the others follow, as does the Hate-Monger. When Reed discovers the Hate-Ray machine, the villain explains his evil plan, just before Fury bursts in to save his pal. The Hate-Monger is forced to give the antidote to Reed, and the other FF members are tricked into taking it as well. When the Hate-Monger is killed by his own men, he is unmasked, and revealed as… Adolf Hitler!

WHAT’S HOT
THOUGHT-PROVOKING. The splash advertises this as a tale that is “most unusual and thought-provoking.” Recently, in my review of the Dr. Strange origin story, I mentioned that Marvel is moving away from tales aimed at little boys. The promise of “thought-provoking,” along with themes of racial prejudice, clearly addresses an older audience.

NICK FURY. The last time I saw Fury was in the premiere issue of Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos. Not much for war stories, I haven’t read any more, but it’s good to see him teaming up with the FF to fight evil. Regardless of the fact that I like my Nick Fury to look like Samuel L. Jackson and wear an eye patch, it’s still cool to see this crossover.

SURPRISE! On the cover, we are warned there will be a surprise ending, and the unmasking of the villain on page 22 does not disappoint.

BRUNETTE. Early in the story, Sue tries on a black wig. What’s this all about? Simple girly fun, as the narrator suggests, or were Stan and Jack trying to gauge if their older audience might prefer her as a brunette?

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WHAT’S NOT
CAPTAIN OF THE OBVIOUS, PART 1. How likely is it that a leader who unashamedly calls himself the HATE-Monger could rise to power? Who would openly follow someone like that? Of course, once you’ve been zapped by the H-ray, you’ll follow him, no questions asked. But who’s going to get anywhere near a maniac called “The Hate-Monger”?

CAPTAIN OF THE OBVIOUS, PART 2. The Hate-Monger wears a giant yellow H on his costume. I understand why he would hide his face under a KKK-esque pointed hood, but how can we take him seriously with that giant yellow H on his chest? Of course, Superman wears a giant S on his chest, and there’s some yellow in it, but his design is mostly patriotic red and blue. Yellow reminds me of…oh, I don’t know, BIG BIRD. And why do we need an H at all? Is it like…in case you don’t know who I am when you see me showing up in my purple pointed face mask, this big yellow H should leave no doubt?

STUPID CRIMINAL MISTAKES. The Hate-Monger makes the fatal mistake of gloatingly telling his rival all his deepest secrets, just before planning to kill him. Of course when your rival is super-scientist Reed Richards and his pals are Nick Fury and the other members of the FF, it’s probably best not to waste any time, if you don’t want your diabolical plans getting all mucked up.

ANTIDOTE? The Hate-Monger says only he shall remain impervious to the H-Ray, for only he possess the antidote. Uh, correct me if I’m wrong, but if someone wants to cause everyone in the world to hate everyone else in the world, is this a guy that really NEEDS to be impervious to the Hate Ray? Isn’t he pretty hateful already?

C.I…WHO?? Fury says the C.I.A. knew all about the Hate-Monger and what he was doing, but “couldn’t interfere in another nation’s affairs.” Oh really? Isn’t the whole purpose of the C.I.A. to interfere with other nation’s affairs? Was this not the case in 1963? Or did the writers simply not know?

IRONY, PART 1. When the Hate-Monger travels underground in his sub-surface missile, the editor informs us that the Russians are currently working on a similar vehicle. Why are we told this? What purpose does this information serve except to make us want to swear, “Those lousy Russians!!” In a story that paints prejudice in such a negative light, obviously inferring that it’s just plain wrong to engage in “class hatred, race hatred, religious hatred,” it seems that political hatred of the Russians is perfectly acceptable.

IRONY, PART 2. There have been rumors for years that Adolf Hitler did not actually die when history says he did, and in this story, Reed speculates that it may have been one of Hitler’s many doubles that died in his place. Of course, that brings up the question: if it was a double who died in Hitler’s place, then who is the Hate Monger…really? Hitler…or just another double? And is the real Adolf Hitler still out there?

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Posted in Fantastic Four, Meanwhile, Spider-Man, Thor | 4 Comments

TALES TO ASTONISH #50: Growing Pains

Posted on February 6, 2014 by Chrissy
Published: December, 1963

Published: December, 1963

“The Human Top!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Steve Ditko
Letters: Sam Rosen

In 1967 The Jefferson Airplane, in their song White Rabbit, sang the lyrics, “One pill makes you larger, and one pill makes you small,” referring to both the classic children’s book Alice In Wonderland, and the use of psychedelic drugs. But they might as well have been thinking of super-scientist Henry Pym, who has developed a series of serums and pills to make him ant-sized, cause his partner to shrink and sprout wings like a Wasp, and now he’s developed a pill that makes him a giant.

We got our first glimpse at Giant-Man in Tales to Astonish #49, and again in Avengers #2. I guess it took a little while for Stan and Jack to figure out that if their hero is giant-sized, his stories should be also. In this issue, the splash promises “a double-length spectacular.” And while the contents of this issue are not quite spectacular, neither is its length double. You see, the surprise at the end of this story is that it is only half a story. Giant-Man and Wasp are nowhere near ready to defeat the villain, who is last seen slinking through the darkened streets with a bundle of dynamite, no doubt intending further mayhem. How will it all end? Well, we won’t find out, until the January issue of Tales to Astonish.

Well, I’M astonished! Never before has this been done in the Silver Age of Comics. Before this time, one simply did not read a Marvel comic from cover to cover without knowing how the story ends! So! You thought our new hero Giant-Man is fresh and different? His stories even moreso!

Readers in 1963 could have cried “Foul!” because in order to get to the conclusion of this adventure, they were being asked to plunk down another 12 cents, for the January, 1964 issue. But I don’t think the additional 12 cents was really a problem for most readers. They were probably planning to buy the next issue, anyway. Instead, they most probably felt perturbed and uneasy because they were being asked to WAIT for the conclusion of the story. Unheard of! I wonder what it must have been like to sit down with this comic in December, 1963, fully expecting a full story, and then to have the rug pulled out from under you.

mainstreamI remember the first time I saw The Lord of the Rings in the movie theater. My teenage daughter was a big LOTR nerd, so she prepared me that the end of this movie was not the end of the story. But when we got to the credits, the collective “HUH??” from the rest of the audience assured me that many did not have the LOTR-nerd advantage that I had. I wonder if Giant-Man readers in 1963 were engaging in that collective, “HUH??”

It probably didn’t seem fair at the time, but Russ assures me that continuing stories will be the wave of the future for Marvel Comics. The “one complete story per issue” format is antiquated, and about to be replaced not only with two-part stories, but with continuing sagas that stretch for months on end. Russ also assures me the stories will not only get bigger, but also better. This two-part Giant-Man is only the first step in that direction.

HUMAN TOP
And who is the treacherous villain who will usher in this next stage of Marvel Comics? Meet Dave Cannon, aka the Human Top, who can spin around really, really fast. So fast, you can’t see him, he’s just a green blur. Sort of like Clark Kent in Smallville being referred to as the Red-Blue Blur, before the Superman moniker sticks. And how can anything stick when he’s moving that fast?

Apparently Dave Cannon possessed “the amazing ability to whirl around at great speed” even as a lad, for we first meet him both impressing and bullying his young cronies. Cannon takes the bullying path to an extreme, using his superpower first to steal fruit (gasp!) and later to throw ice races. We get the idea: he’s a no-good-nik. As an adult, he’s named “Public Enemy Number One” for a string of burglaries and bank robberies.

tta50wowieIt’s never explained where this fantastic spinning ability comes from, but now that X-Men has introduced the concept of fantastic feats through human mutation, I have to wonder if the Human Top is a mutant. My understanding (admittedly, at this point, from the X-Men movies, rather than from the few comics I’ve read) is that mutant abilities don’t manifest until puberty. If so, then how old is Dave Cannon when he’s bullying the other kids on the top of page two?

Looking at these pictures, I see a bunch of BOYS. Kids. Not teenagers. So I don’t know if this ability to spin fast is indeed a mutant power, or if he’s just a freak of nature. And I don’t know if I’ll ever know. I don’t even know if it’s important. But I will say this: I’m pleased with myself for asking this question. It’s the kind of question a student of Marvel Comics should be asking at this point.

I think I’m getting the hang of this Universe.

ENTER…GIANT-MAN!
When Giant-Man and Wasp decide to go after Public Enemy Number One, the big guy discovers that being huge is not always an advantage, especially when chasing a tta50getyouslippery foe like the Human Top. And that’s as it should be. It wouldn’t make sense if a guy who’s suddenly 12 feet tall leaps about with the grace of a gazelle.

It irks Pym to no end that the Top gets away, so he does the “mad scientist bit” (as Wasp calls it) and creates a serum to make himself faster—hopefully as fast as the Human Top. But as he practices his fast moves, Wasp can tell he’s not nearly fast enough.

And that’s where we leave it. Giant-Man thinks he’s getting close, and Wasp doesn’t have the heart to tell him he’s not. Yet there’s the Human Top, slinking through the darkened streets with dynamite, about to visit more mischief upon the city. Who can stop him?

What’s that they say? “Tune in next time…”

But before we get to next time, and the end of this story, I have one important observation to make about Wasp.

WASP’S MOTIVATIONS
The awkward relationship between Henry Pym and his flirtatious little sidekick Janet Van Dyne has never been resolved within any single issue of Tales to Astonish. And good thing, too! Because it’s just too much fun. We don’t want a quick resolution! But in this outing, Jan is getting prettied up for her meeting with Henry as if it’s a date, and as he has to remind her it’s all strictly business, our capricious female has a most unusual reaction. Observe:

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Well, we know without a doubt that Jan has her eye on “big wonderful dreamy HIM!” That couldn’t be more obvious. But correct me if I’m wrong…in her origin story, when her father was killed by the Creature from Kosmos, didn’t she vow to dedicate her life to finding his murderer, and didn’t she express a fervent desire to “help track down ALL the criminals, the human wolves who prey on honest people”? I think she did.

The Creature from Kosmos was destroyed seven pages after her bold proclamations, but it took even less time for Jan to fall for her crime-fighting partner. Still, I have to wonder: does romantic love supersede and negate a heartfelt pledge of heroism?

Has Jan so quickly forgotten her original commitment? Or was she only pretending from the start, just saying the words she thought Pym wanted to hear, simply so she could be near him? Has her mind been so clouded by her attraction to Henry that she now “only has eyes” for him? Can all those poor honest people being preyed upon by human wolves now go to hell in a hand basket, because she’s found herself a MAN?

What is Stan saying here? Is this a sexist commentary about the nature of women? If so, I’m offended. But not really offended, because I understand that back in 1963, this kind of thinking was the norm. For a woman to have any other attitude would have been considered…unnatural. And so we must accept Wasp’s romance-obsessed heart as easily as we must accept Betty Ross’ pink pillbox hat and matching pumps.

I don’t know how long Giant-Man and Wasp are around in the Marvel Universe, but I hope if they survive the millennium, our little Wasp undergoes a time-appropriate attitude tta50hmmmadjustment. I love these old comics, but looking back through this prism at the 1960’s, I lament the backwards social attitudes just as often as I find myself longing for simpler, more innocent times.

With that in mind, I leave you with one more image. As Wasp jumps in through the window, her partner happily exclaims, “Just in time, Jan! I was just about to become GIANT-MAN!” Am I the only one who detects a level of sexual innuendo in Pym’s proclamation that perhaps was never originally intended? Ah, yes, for those simpler, more innocent times! It’s so easy to make fun, and have fun with them. But also…ah, yes! How insightful it can be to look at these stories through the prism of time and see how not only our characters, but also our society, and ourselves, have come through and survived, and hopefully been improved, by so many bouts of growing pains.

ff21avatarThat’s all for now, but don’t forget to join me in two weeks here in The Marvelous Zone. A bunch of really good stories are coming up, and I know you’d hate to miss it!

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Posted in Giant-Man, Tales to Astonish, Wasp | 7 Comments

TALES OF SUSPENSE #48: Iron Man Gets a Makeover

Posted on January 23, 2014 by Chrissy
Published: January, 1964

Published: December, 1963

“The Mysterious Mr. Doll!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Steve Ditko
Inks: Dick Ayers
Letters: Sam Rosen

First the big news: Iron Man gets a makeover! And boy oh boy, does he look refreshed! If Tyra Banks of America’s Next Top Model could get her pretty little mitts on Iron Man, she’d have one heck of a blockbuster show!

Remember how Iron Man started out in that awful gray tin can of a costume? After that, he looked shinier in gold (well yellow, actually, but use your imagination). But now we see him in gold and red, looking much more like the Iron Man we’re familiar with. There may be further developments down the road for Iron Man, but at this point, we have at last arrived at the “modern” Iron Man. Those of you who know what lies ahead for this character may be laughing yourselves silly at my simplistic comments, but still, you have to admit: Iron Man looks good.

That’s the big news, but there’s something else going on in this issue that really strikes me as both ridiculous and entertaining at the same time. Speaking of costumes, is it just me, or does anyone else find a delicious sense of irony in the whole idea of Iron Man taking exception to the physical appearance of this outing’s villain, Mr. Doll?

I especially like this sequence on page 2. Read carefully:
tos48banner

Huh? What? “A get up like that”? Isn’t this what your mother used to say about the pot calling the kettle black? I guess when Stark decides to don his “powerful guise,” somehow that’s not the same as what Mr. Doll is doing. Well, true. Iron Man does look powerful. Mr. Doll just looks…ridiculous.

But really, what can you say about this guy? He dresses like a Jester Academy drop out, and his superpower seems suspiciously like that of Alicia Masters’ stepfather, the Puppet Master. Doll has been using a…doll…which is really a “figurine” of some indeterminate substance, on which he alters the facial features to resemble anyone he wishes to victimize.

After his first run-in with Doll, Stark questions his commitment to his Iron Man activities, but eventually decides, “I prefer death to admitting defeat at the hands of a menace like Mr. Doll!” Yeah, that would be pretty embarrassing, wouldn’t it? There might be some honor in being conquered by Doctor Doom, Loki, or Magneto…but defeat at the hands of Mr. Doll? Don’t want that on your superhero resumé!

So, my question: Why not call him Mr. VooDoo? Or Dr. VooDoo? Wouldn’t that feel stronger, more menacing? Or was the word “VooDoo” taboo under the Comics Code, along with words like vampire, werewolf and zombie? I understand it’s difficult to create villains of mettle when huge portions of the English language are unavailable, but with Mr. Doll, it just seems Stan simply gave up and said, “Enough! I’m going to the house.” When wealthy businessman Carter relays his story to the police, and they acknowledge that Mr. Doll is a “whacky [sic] name,” this must be Stan’s way of saying, Yeah, yeah, I know…I’ll do better next time, I promise.

tos48dolldilemmaMr. Doll uses his doll to manipulate the richest men in town by causing them unbearable pain, until they agree to sign over their fortunes to him, “everything in writing, nice and legal.” Of course, when Doll sets his sights on Tony Stark, he must first deal with Iron Man.

So Mr. Doll paralyzes Iron Man, then takes a moment to refashion the doll’s face to resemble Tony Stark. He warns Iron Man not to move, since “I can alter my doll to resemble you in seconds, and bring you back on your knees!”

So here’s my problem: We understand that because Iron Man and Tony Stark are one and the same, there will never be a moment in this scenario when Mr. Doll is in danger, BUT…Mr. Doll isn’t in on the big secret! How bold (or how stupid) is he, that he feels comfortable releasing Iron Man from his spell, even momentarily?

Doll should realize that Iron Man could jump him and secure the figurine in less time than it would take to rework the face. He can only threaten one person at a time, and he doesn’t have super strength or super speed. He just has…a doll. So why does he take the chance?

I’m disappointed in the logistics of this story. Not impressed by this villain, and not really impressed with Iron Man’s solution to the problem. A transistor-powered force beam that can remold matter from a distance? Ha! Should have seen that one coming—or at least something like that. It’s just too predictable.

No, the real star of this story is Iron Man’s new suit. Stark makes the decision to lighten and brighten when he realizes that his current suit is too heavy, weighs him down and “saps too much energy.” Locking himself in his private lab, Stark works “as few men have ever worked before!” to fashion the new suit. And when it is fashioned, we are treated to a fashion show:
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I love the attention to detail in this spread. I love the way the pieces of Iron Man’s new suit “click” into place. The best part of all this, however, is when Stark explains on the next page that his new mask allows his expression to psychologically instill fear in the hearts of his enemies. LOL! Because facing off against a man in an iron suit is only SEMI-terrifying, if you can’t see his eyes.

And of course, I love the colors. What a feast of red and yellow! Coming up in my Meanwhile… post for December, 1963, I’ll make fun of the Hate Monger for wearing a big yellow H on his chest. So why is it okay for Iron Man to sport a lot of yellow in his costume? Well, first of all, Iron Man doesn’t wear a big I on his chest, just in case he forgets his superhero codename. Also, we know it’s not really yellow, it’s gold. Perhaps it would have served Steve Ditko well, if the color gold had been available on his pallet back in 1963. I guess it took a bit of imagination for the comic readers to envision the details of what Iron Man must have looked like, and how easily this new suit form-fitted Stark’s body.

Yes, back in the day, imagination was essential. Today, all we need is our eyes:

In addition to all this, as we know from past issues, Pepper Potts has a crush on the boss. When Tony needs to slip out the back door, he convinces his guard to leave him alone with Pepper for a few moments, because he wants to ask her out on a date. Hearing this, Pepper gets all googly. Happy, of course, does not look happy. But then again, he never does.

Alas! It’s all a ruse, a “powerful guise,” if you will, so Stark can gain the privacy he needs—not to romance Pepper, but to slip into his Iron Man persona. Now, I understand he had to do something to get away from the guard, but isn’t that exceptionally cruel of Stark? Isn’t he aware that Pepper has feelings for him? Well, if he wasn’t aware before, he is now.

And so, in addition to a new and improved superhero, we also have another episode in the Stark Industries Love Triangle soap opera. I’m sure there’ll be lots more fun in store for Iron Man, now that he can assemble more quickly, move with greater agility, and last longer without poor Tony Stark’s heart giving out.

I’m just not sure the same can be said for Pepper.

tta50avatarSo this has been a time of monumental change for Iron Man, but the fun doesn’t stop here! Another hero will experience a bout of growing pains, as events spin wildly out of control, next time we venture into the topsy-turvy Marvelous Zone!! Be sure to join me!

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Posted in Iron Man, Tales of Suspense | 5 Comments